NEW YORK - Sept. 12, 2014 - PRLog -- Many television viewers in New York are familiar with Film Lab Presents, a television series medley of bold, innovative and diverse American stories hosted by Jennifer Betit Yen and Maxwell Turner and directed by Ryan Hayward, now in its second season. As of September 14, 2014, CrossingsTV will begin airing a series of Film Lab’s innovative, fun, new entertainment in Central Valley, Chicago, San Francisco, and Seattle, as well as in New York/New Jersey.

The new series will air on Sunday, beginning on September 14, 2014, on CrossingsTV and will have different air times in different markets based on the CrossingsTV programming line-up for each individual market. The airtimes will be as follows:

New York/New Jersey – 8:30pm, ch. 1519 (Time Warner Cable)

Central Valley – 6:30pm, ch. 238 (Xfinity)

Chicago – 4:30pm, ch. 691 (Xfinity)

San Francisco – 4:30pm, ch. 238 (Xfinity)

Seattle – 5:30pm, ch. 152 (Xfinity)

CrossingsTV Marketing Director, Daniel Sakaya, said, “CrossingsTV is literally where cultures meet. We’re looking forward to adding even more diverse content from the Film Lab that we hope will appeal to all of our viewers.”

“The Film Lab is so happy to be working with CrossingsTV to share entertainment that reflects genuine, authentic portrayals of the world we live in,” commented actor and Film Lab President, Jennifer Betit Yen. “This is about, not only diversity, but also providing great, fun, enjoyable entertainment for people of all colors.”

About CrossingsTV

Founded in 2005, Crossings TV fulfills the entertainment and information needs of Asian American communities. In so doing, Crossings TV’s foremost goal is to provide locally-oriented, produced and marketed programming and content. Working with key, local representatives in each of the markets it serves, Crossings TV is a unique, grassroots intermediary, efficiently linking its targeted audiences and commercial, non-commercial and governmental entities.

The Asian American Film Lab is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization which began working to promote diversity in media in 1998. The Asian American Film Lab’s president, Jennifer Betit Yen, founded AAFL TV in August 2013 to address an explosion of interest in diverse, original creative content along with a corresponding rising level of dissatisfaction with mainstream programming for a lack of diversity and/or perpetuation of racial stereotypes. AAFL TV’s mission is to provide innovative, contemporary, original content by, for and about diverse Americans - content that accurately reflects our heterogeneous country both in front of and behind the camera. One of the ideas behind inviting submissions from all over the globe is to empower creatives by providing a platform for diverse filmmakers to present unique and independent content and to be part of something bigger, showing the world that diverse talent is not only present, but powerful, with a voice and a stage on which to see and hear it. AAFL TV launched its first pilots as web series in September 2013 and then partnered with NYCMedia, New York City’s flagship media station, to begin airing a television series entitled “Film Lab Presents,” consisting of 30 minute episodes of racially diverse original contemporary entertainment content in January 2014. Season I of Film Lab Presents aired March – May 2014. Currently, season II is airing.

The Film Lab is run under the direction of President Jennifer Betit Yen. Board members include Edwin Wong, Aurora Betson, and Daryl King. Management includes DJ McDonald and Lorna Nowve. The Film Lab’s other programming includes filmmaking workshops with industry professionals, screenwriting contests, and film competitions, including the annual 72 Hour Film Shootout (the “Shootout”). This annual competition, now in its ninth year, has inspired hundreds of filmmakers by helping nascent talent take brave steps towards a filmmaking career. 2014 marks the 10th year Asian CineVision will partner with FilmLab to promote the Shootout at the 37th annual Asian American International Film Festival (“AAIFF”). AAIFF is New York’s leading festival for independent Asian and Asian American film and video, and the first and longest-running U.S. festival of its kind. It will be the first time the winning Shootout films will screen at film festivals in both New York City and Los Angeles.

As an integral part of AAIFF, the Shootout celebrates the creativity and genius of the directors, their casts and crews as they share stories by, about and for Asian Americans and other filmmakers of color with the world. AAIFF has played a vital role in discovering and nurturing such acclaimed talent as Wayne Wang (THE JOY LUCK CLUB), Ang Lee (CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON, BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN), Mira Nair (THE NAMESAKE), Zhang Yimou (HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS), Christine Choy (WHO KILLED VINCENT CHIN?), Steven Okazaki (THE MUSHROOM CLUB), Jessica Yu (PING PONG PLAYA), and Justin Lin (FAST FIVE).